Resident Evil 4

A new trailer yields new impressions.

It looks like hardcore Resident Evil 4 fans just will just have to wait until the full retail version hits this winter to play beyond the first fifteen minutes of the game. Attendees of the 14th annual Tokyo Game Show have the dubious honor of waiting in line to play the same village level that was on display at E3 earlier this year. It may be wiser for Japanese fans to just pocket the train fare to TGS and instead buy the special Capcom issue of Famitsu, which hit newsstands yesterday and includes the very same Resident Evil 4 demo disc running on kiosks at this weekend's show.

Thankfully, Capcom also has a brand-new Resident Evil 4 trailer running beside its TGS demo. The new trailer offers an extended glimpse at what players can expect once they finish business in the evil European village that we have seen time and time again.

As the story goes, Leon Kennedy has been summoned to Europe in order to rescue the President of the United States' daughter, Ashley Graham. In the new video preview, young Ashley appears to play a pivotal role in the game. In one short clip the player controls Ashley -- not Kennedy -- to maneuver through a crawlspace. In other scenes, Ashley is captured by enemies who then throw her over their shoulders and make for an escape. It is here when Kennedy can use a shotgun blast or a well-placed bullet from a sniper rifle to down the kidnapper and regain possession of Ashley. One scene in particular shows Kennedy snipping a ghoul from a balcony after hearing Ashley's cries echoes through the cathedral. It's reminiscent of Yorda's shrieks in Ico, warning the player to kill the enemy and recapture their damsel before time runs out.

The trailer also offers a sneak peak at one of the most realistic and creepy characters in the game. While his name is still unknown, his hair and facial features are like that of the infamous priest Rasputin who rose to power in pre-Communist Russia. One clip highlights a battle between Kennedy and this enemy in a one-on-one duel, only to watch the Rasputin-look-alike grapple and throw Kennedy to the ground in a power one-handed blow.

The video preview ends with Ashley's screams as she's once again taken from Kennedy's custody. We can only assume much ass-kicking will follow involving shotguns, sniper rifles, and creepy half-humans.

The trailer, as well as the TGS demo, show-off some gameplay elements that make Resident Evil 4 a welcome and exciting addition to the long-standing survival horror series. Enemies can throw axes at the player that can be knocked away by a well-placed bullet. The possessed villagers are also more formidable than the lethargic zombies of past Resident Evil games, launching Molotov cocktails when the player tries to snipe from above, all with brillant fire effects. And only in the video game world can a salvaged chicken egg refill one's health meter.

This marquee GameCube title is due to hit retail shelves this January, and we'll be back with more leading up to its release.